UNIVERSITY PARK – Matt Campbell’s background makes him appreciate football history.

He grew up in Massillon, Ohio, home to one of the nation’s storied high school programs, and he played college football at Mount Union in Ohio, the most decorated Division III program of all time with 13 national titles.

As a youngster, he spent considerable time visiting his grandparents and great-grandparents in Carmichaels, a small but tough coal town in southwestern PA.

The patriarchs of the family and their work ethic left an impression on him, as did their favorite football team.

He clearly remembers, “the pride they took in Penn State football and Coach (Joe) Paterno.”

But he had never been here, and though he was familiar with many of the great Penn State players of the past — mentioning the likes of Ham, Millen and Blackledge, Collins, Brady and Arrington — he still needed to pinch himself Sunday night when he walked into the Lasch Building.

“This incredible lettermen wall, 2200 names,” he told the media and more than 100 supporters at Beaver Stadium during his introduction Monday as Penn State’s 17th head football coach. “You could almost feel goosebumps going down the side of your arms looking at some of these incredible names. Some of the best ever to play the sport of football. You knew their excellence and what they stood for, a blueblood football program. No question.”

Campbell, 46, spent 10 years in becoming a legend at Iowa State. He had received numerous inquiries to leave over the years, but preferred to be very selective.

Unlike other coaches (translation: James Franklin), Campbell did not have an agent who would dutifully float his name for seemingly every other attractive opening.

“I never wanted to be that coach that was going to jump from job to job,” he said, adding he never took calls during the season. “Your focus has to be on the kids.”

This time around, though, when Pat Kraft, whose struggles throughout the 54-day search to replace Franklin were well documented, called late Wednesday night to gauge interest, Campbell said to himself, “Maybe this is meant to be.”

The next morning, PSU president Neeli Bendapudi helped close the deal.

“She’s … wow,” Campbell said. “I thought ‘these are the type of people you want to be associated with.”’

Bendapudi left a phone call convinced, saying, “I knew immediately we had the right person,” even though Kraft had offered the job to a couple others and was turned down.

Turns out, he and Penn State are the lucky ones.

Campbell checks all the boxes and brings the humility, toughness and a track record to carry Kraft’s challenge of stalking a national title.

“We connected on so many levels,” Kraft said. “(Wednesday) I woke my wife up, Betsy, and I said, ‘Oh, my God, he’s the guy.’ I appreciate the media speculating and putting things out there every step of the way that was true or not true, but we got the guy who is going to lead us to a national championship and bring us back to the best program in the country.

“Penn State football today emerges tougher, clearer and more driven than ever before.”

In Iowa State, Campbell knew he had taken least funded program among Power-4 conferences as far as he could.

“The flash, the stars, that’s cool on signing day, but winning football games on Saturday is what we’re going to be about,” he said. “That’s development.”

At the same time, in this changing world of college sports, resources can’t be underestimated, and Campbell told himself:

“If we were to leave Iowa State, I wanted to go somewhere, and I wanted to finish my career, and I wanted to stand for something that’s bigger than myself,” he said. “And I found that. I couldn’t be more humbled and grateful for that opportunity.”

He signed an eight-year contract worth about $78 million plus another $30 million in NIL for players and $17 million for staff.

In part because he grew up in a Division III circle, he never met any of the Nittany Lions’ previous head coaches, but he praised all of them.

“For Coach Franklin and what he built here at Penn State, I have the utmost respect for him … Coach O’Brien, and, man, what he stood for in these great halls,” he said. “I understand it’s my responsibility to continue to build on the values that those great men have instilled in this program.”

He thanked PSU wrestling coach Cael Sanderson “the last coach (PSU took) from Iowa State,” for his counsel, along with PA governor Josh Shapiro, who was part of the recruiting team.

Campbell showed how much Monday’s moment meant by shedding a tear at the podium before he said a word.

He thanked Bendapudi and Kraft. He reached to his roots to thank his parents – his father coached him in high school – along with his wife, Erica, and children (all were in attendance) – plus past coaches like Mount Union’s Larry Kehres (332-24-3 in 27 seasons) and administrators at Toledo and Iowa State.

He endured an emotional sendoff late Friday night in snowy Ames, and if there was any part of him that was wavering, that dispelled it.

“I staying until 2 in the morning, and every young man came into my office to thank me,” he said. “That’s when I knew I made the right decision. They all said, ‘Coach, you have to take it.”’

And with that, a new era of Penn State football has begun.